A Little While Longer
by pinkpen23
Summary: <html><head></head>Ron has a thoughtful moment with himself in the tent after returning.  Really short and sweet.</html>


**A/N: This happens about two days after Ron returns. Just felt like writing some really simple fanfic one day and this came out. Enjoy :)**

Ron Weasley lay in his bunk silently as he watched Hermione Granger sleep. It was just the two of them in the tent because it was Harry's turn to keep watch. He watched intently as Hermione's petite body rose and fell gracefully with her breathing.

She really was such a beautiful sleeper, Ron thought. She looked so happy and serene. Ron desperately wished that he could bottle up that serene look on her face and keep it for when she woke up. Hermione was still furious with Ron for abandoning her and Harry. Ron had returned two days ago and had done everything in his power to try and appease Hermione, but nothing seemed to work.

Ron felt an ache in his heart as he pondered what Hermione must have felt when he left. He yearned to go back in time and change everything. He wouldn't have left. He would have taken the venomous Horcrux off when Hermione had asked him to. He wouldn't have lost his head. He would have not Disapparated when he had heard Hermione calling after him.

His time apart from her and Harry had been pretty dreadful. He stayed with Bill and Fleur at their home, but he couldn't help but feel like they both were silently judging him for deserting his friends. He probably would have judged himself too.

When he had returned, Hermione had angrily told him about all that had happened at Godric's Hollow. When he had heard that Voldemort had almost gotten to them, Ron felt such horrible guilt that he couldn't stand it. He had almost lost his two best friends. He had almost lost the love of his life. And what was worse was that, his last memory of her would have been Hermione screaming Ron's name hysterically in the rain, pleading him to return.

He tore his thoughts away from that night and focused again on Hermione's sleeping. He knew it was only a matter of time before she woke up and was mad at him again. He wondered if she would ever not be mad at him. Harry secretly told Ron that he, Harry, thought Hermione would loosen up in a few days time, but Ron wasn't so sure. He had never seen Hermione so mad.

As he watched the love of his life sleep, Ron made a promise. He promised himself that he would make sure Hermione knew before it was too late. He did not kid himself into believing that he, Hermione, and Harry were guaranteed to make it out alive. As much as it terrified him, he realized that one, two, or all three of them could be dead before this war was over. But Ron swore with everything he had that he was going to tell Hermione how he felt about her. The thought of telling Hermione his true feelings horrified him though. He had no idea how he was going to do it with all the commotion going on around them, not to mention that she currently wasn't speaking to him.

"Hermione," Ron whispered, so softly that he could barely hear his own voice. "I'm so sorry for everything. I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll do more than make it up to you, I swear. Hermione, you mean everything to me. _Everything. _I can't imagine my life without you in it. I'm sorry for all the times I've behaved like a total git. I wish I could turn back time, but unfortunately I can't. I know you're really mad at me right now, and I totally understand. I'd be mad at me too. Please forgive me soon. I miss talking with you. Like I said, I'm really sorry. Oh, and by the way Hermione, I love you. Always have and always will."

Of course, he'd have to tweak it a little, but he liked the sound of it. Sure, it may not have been the most eloquent of speeches, but it came from his heart. He thought it over in his head wondering when and where would be a good time to tell her.

He continued to gaze at Hermione's sleeping figure as he thought all this through. Then he realized that she was stirring. His heart skipped a beat as her small body shifted in her bed. She then opened her stunning brown eyes and looked at Ron with a mixture of confusion and disdain.

"What are you looking at?" she said, sharply.

"Nothing," Ron replied quietly, looking away from her.

Obviously, his speech was going to have to wait a little while longer.

**A/N: Review please :)**


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